144. Chris Hewitt (Empire) on REM 'New Aventures in Hi-Fi'

This week I chat to producer, bassist, songwriter, documentarian and president of iconic jazz label Blue Note Records, Don Was about Wayne Shorter's classic album 'Speak No Evil' (1966). We talk about how the album gave Don a sense of purpose, that a piece of music doesn't need lyrics to speak to someone, how great artists seem to appear from a creative ether and Don explains how engineer Rudy Van Gelder achieved the classic jazz sound that unifies all Blue Note albums and how Don aims to continue that legacy by pursuing the artists' vision. Plus Don tells me some fantastic anecdotes about his time working with Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Garth Brooks, Benmont Tench and more.

26 Kesä 201953min

This week I chat to frontman of The Herd, co founder of Elefant Traks record label, manager and solo artist Urthboy (aka Tim Levinson) about A Tribe Called Quest's 'The Low End Theory'. We discuss how A Tribe Called Quest was political in a different way than other hip-hop artists of their era, how their sampling of jazz helped them cross generational lines and how your ability to appreciate contemporary music falters as you get older. Tim opens up about how the album educated him about issues not being discussed in school and why he has referenced and sampled elements of the album in his own music.

19 Kesä 201942min

This week I talk to Queen of Australian radio Zan Rowe about Talking Heads 'More Songs About Buildings and Food'. We chat about David Byrne's outsider appeal, the new wave funk sound that defined Talking Heads, the album's dystopian predictions and capitalist lyrics, producer Brian Eno's contribution to the album and delve into his Oblique Strategies cards. Zan tells us about the first time she met David Byrne, his wonderful sense of curiosity and we both commiserate over missing his last tour.

12 Kesä 201946min

This week I chat to rapper, writer, comedian, actor, one half of A.B. Original and the man who should've been PM, Briggs, about Snoop Dogg's classic album 'Doggy Style' (1993). We talk about Snoop as a crucial but underrated figure in the evolution of hip-hop, how Briggs discovered the record as a kid in Shepparton, make a case for the album's importance, the timelessness of the production, delve into the making of the album and how Briggs' channeled Snoop to capture the energy of the recording studio on 'Reclaim Australia'.

4 Kesä 201931min

This week I chat to Australian singer-songwriter Gretta Ray about Blake Mills' 2010 album 'Break Mirrors'. Mills may be better known as a producer (Alabama Shakes, Dawes) but today we explore his own music. We talk about how Mills wrote this album as a calling card for his session work, his poetic but unpretentious turns of phrase, his unique but completely tasteful guitar work, Mills' production on Laura Marling's latest album and the advantages of operating slightly under the radar.

28 Touko 201945min

24 Touko 201936min

My Favorite Album Goes to the Movies continues as we explore how the iconic MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE theme has evolved over fifty years of the TV and film franchise, with special guest MI experts Drew Taylor and Charles Hood, hosts of the Light the Fuse podcasts. We look at the origins of the theme and delve into the scores of the 60s and 80s TV series, and how each composer has approached the films from Danny Elfman to Hans Zimmer, Michael Giacchino to Joe Kraemer and Lorne Balfe, plus lesser known takes on the theme music by U2's Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr, Limp Bizkit, Kanye West and Jon Brion, and where we want to see the franchise take the score in the upcoming two (final?) films…

18 Touko 20192h 11min

8 Touko 201941min